1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable information terminal with a structure in which a portion of a housing is slidable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in downsizing a portable phone, a foldable structure which is foldable by forming a main body by two units, and coupling the two units via a pivotal coupling member, or a coupling slide structure which overlays two units by coupling one unit to the other unit via a slidable member is adopted. The slide structure couples a movable housing (second unit) that mounts some function units to a main housing (first unit) to be slidable in, e.g., the longitudinal direction (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-179678). A portable phone with such a slidable structure is retracted so that the two units are overlaid when it is carried. On the other hand, such a portable telephone is used upon talking so that the two units are slid in the longitudinal direction.
In the portable phone described in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-179678, the effective region of a touch panel can be increased/decreased depending on whether the second unit is located at a closed position (retracted), ½ open position, or open position (extended). However, in the conventional portable phone, since the effective region of the touch panel is merely increased/decreased in accordance with a slide lock position, such a mechanism is not related to other functions.